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ABOUT THIS TOUR
HOME TYPE: House
LOCATION: Clapham, London, United Kingdom
STYLE: Colorful
BEDROOMS: 3
SQUARE FEET: 1300
On gloomy overcast London days, this 1,300-square-foot home used to blend right in with gray skies. But once this family of four hired designer Justine Guillermou, known for her vibrant, personality-packed interiors, the house transformed into something much more colorful, cheerful, and full of life.
Justine Guillermou is a “former rocket engineer at Ariane Group, she has appeared on the British interior design TV show The Big Interiors Battle.” And as a “podcast producer and creator of the online course Colour Your Home Happy, she inspires listeners and students to trust their instincts and design homes that are uniquely joyful.” Credit: Neil Perry/Neil Perry Photography
“We fell in love with this house for its space and the neighbourhood, but we needed help making it feel like home,” begins homeowner Caroline. “It was very consistent with the rest of the neighbourhood: a lot of white and gray. On paper, it was spacious and bright, but in the middle of a gray London autumn or winter, it didn’t exactly spark much joy.”
The favorite element of the homeowners, the orange and white grid wallpaper, didn’t start that way: “When Justine talked about it, I thought ‘fair chance this will be ugly, but she knows better’ and she did know better. I adore that bit of the house,” Caroline the homeowner admits. Credit: Neil Perry/Neil Perry Photography
“While the house feels a bit out of sync with the rest of the street now, it is in the best way possible. It’s warm, soulful, and genuinely joyful,” Caroline the homeowner explains.
Credit: Neil Perry/Neil Perry Photography
“The process of leaning into color and pattern has become second nature to us. The house is now a space that manages to be high-energy and deeply calming all at once,” writes Caroline. Credit: Neil Perry/Neil Perry Photography
“Our goal was a bit of a contradiction: We wanted the house to spark dopamine and joy, but also feel incredibly calm. We knew what we wanted to feel, but we didn’t know how to get there, so we asked Justine to help us bridge that gap,” Caroline continues.
Justine, who’s the founder of Rainbow Shaker, known for “expressive, color-forward spaces that balance playfulness with purpose,” was able to transform this three-bedroom home, likely built in the 1920s, without any structural renovation. She calls it a “high-impact emotional redesign.” The hallway, staircase, kitchen, living areas, home office, and both children’s rooms all got a vibrant refresh — and the design started in the entry.
Something special Justine did for their son’s room is that the son loves pink, but was “nervous about what his friends would think. We created a hidden pink nook just for him, complete with curtains he can close — a personal, joyful space that balances self-expression with comfort.” Credit: Neil Perry/Neil Perry Photography
“I always believe the first 30 seconds inside a home should feel intentional. From there, we tackled the kitchen (the heart of family life), then the children’s rooms,” Justine explains of the refresh, which took several months to complete, and included bespoke carpentry, decor, lighting upgrades, vinyl work, and styling.
Despite the happy final result of this home, there were design difficulties Justine had to tackle, like rooms that didn’t visually connect, storage that just didn’t function, and two kids who had very imaginative and big design wishes.
“We overcame these challenges by designing from memory, not trends,” Justine writes. “The client’s joyful Miami holiday became our emotional anchor, and from there, we built a structured, Bauhaus-inspired color strategy to create cohesion across the home.” No one could possibly call this home gloomy or gray now.
Resources
PAINT & COLORSRelated: House Tour: Smart (And Stylish!) Storage Lets This Couple Thrive in Just 320 Square Feet
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Entry — Johnstone’s Paint “Swansong”
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Entry — Benjamin Moore “Aurora Borealis”
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Entry — YesColours “Fresh Aqua”
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Entry — Dulux “Satsuma Spice”
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Entry — Johnstone’s Paint ”NCS S 2565-R80B”
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Living Room — Johnstone’s Paint “Swansong”
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Living Room — Benjamin Moore “Smashing Pink”
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Living Room — Benjamin Moore “Sea of Green”
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Living Room — YesColours “Fresh Lilac”
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Living Room — YesColours “Fresh Yellow”
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Living Room — Johnstone’s Paint ”NCS S 2565-R80B”
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Living Room — Dulux “Satsuma Spice”
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Office — Johnstone’s Paint “Swansong”
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Office — YesColours “Friendly Blue”
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Office — YesColours “Malagasy Coral”
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Office — YesColours “Fresh Yellow”
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Office — YesColours “Electric Orange”
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Office — Benjamin Moore “Aurora Borealis”
ENTRY
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Stair Riser Decals — Etsy
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Tubi 8-Hook Coloured Steel Coat Rack — La Redoute
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Shoe Prints — East End Prints
LIVING ROOM
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Yellow Modern Minimalist Aluminum Disc 1-Light Pendant Light — Vidilion
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Prints — East End Prints
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Elements Tela Bathroom Wall Light — Dunelm
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Set of 2 Lia Graphic — La Redoute
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Yellow SOTENÄS Armchair — IKEA (brought all the way from France by train when visiting family!)
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Grid Bespoke Wallpaper — Made Of Sundays
DINING ROOM
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Habitat 60 Hub Pendant Light by Sebastian Conran — Habitat
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Juano Outdoor Rug — La Redoute
KITCHENGIRL’S ROOM
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Prints — East End Prints
BOY’S ROOM
OFFICE
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Prints — East End Prints
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Nils Wall Sconce Yellow Flush Mount On/Off Switch — Etsy
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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Further Reading
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